


I'll Never Leave You

by Riley_writes



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 05:25:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16510187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riley_writes/pseuds/Riley_writes
Summary: Toris has declared his independence from Russia, but Ivan is having none of it. With Ivan pressing the attack, will Toris cave in and return to his control, or will an old friend come to the rescue? Warning: Human names, Written in first person, violence[Reposted from an old account elsewhere.]





	1. The Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> This is in no way meant to be historically accurate. Instead, consider this a bit of fluff that my brain come up with instead of convincing me to wake up and get work done.
> 
> There is a bit of implied Poland(Feliks)x Lithuania(Toris/Liet), and if you really squint, Russia(Ivan)xLithuania(Toris/Liet), but you should be able to ignore it if you're not interested in that. This fic focuses on Feliks and Toris as friends and a Commonwealth.
> 
> Warning for violence. Written in first person. Human names used.
> 
> Also, this was posted without being beta-ed, mostly because my beta is currently busy with school. Errors will be fixed as found. Second chapter and epilogue to follow.

I shaded my eyes, scouting out the field in front of me. Wide open space, perfect for a meeting of armies. Perhaps it was a bit warm to fight while wearing heavy armor, but at least the terrain would be on our side.

I sighed briefly. Even after I had declared my independence from Russia, he had yet to give up on dragging me back to his home. All reports indicated that he and his army would be arriving here in a few hours…

My horse fidgeted nervously, perhaps sensing my thoughts. I patted his neck gently. "Don't worry. We're not alone this time." At least…we weren't supposed to be. Poland had promised to help, and, while I trusted him, I worried that he might not arrive in time…

Suddenly, I heard the galloping of hooves. Shading my eyes again, I turned to see the new arrivals. My breathing grew easier when I saw Poland's flag labeling the group as allies. "He did come through after all…" I dismounted as the group drew closer. "I really appreciate this, Feliks…" My voice trailed off as I got a good look at my friend.

"Liet!" He jumped off his horse and flung his arms around me, giggling like a schoolgirl the whole time. "It's, like, totally awesome to see you again!"

"Feliks…?" He turned his face to look me in the eyes. "…a dress? Wh- why are you wearing a dress?"

He twirled away, skirts and ribbons trailing faithfully after him. "Do you like it? I saw it at the mall yesterday, and it was totally, like, calling my name. I just had to show it to you!" His face beamed happily.

I hid my face in my hands, feeling rather embarrassed. While it wasn't totally unexpected for him to dress up in female clothing, I'd always known him to be more serious when it came to battle. "You do know why I'm here, right?" My voice was shaking as my nerves returned.

"Like, duh. That's totally why I brought these guys with me!" He gestured at the smallish army behind him.

Despairing, I shook my head. "You do know that it's RUSSIA that I'm fighting, right? It's going to take more than this," I gestured at his army, "to scare him off." Feliks wasn't paying attention to what I was saying anymore, instead focusing on fixing the ponytail that I had put my hair in. I sighed. It was useless to chastise him, and I knew it. He only ever heard what he wanted to hear anyways. "Well, small help is better than no help…I guess…" I muttered to myself.

"There!" Feliks announced, patting my hair one final time. "Now we match!"

"Wha-?" I started to ask as he pointed to the green ribbons in his hair.

"I bought one for Liet too! It's, like, supposed to be good luck or something weird like that." My questing fingers found the ribbon that he had rebound my hair with. "And besides, it's totally cute on you!"

I smiled, perhaps the first genuine smile in a long time. "Thanks. I'll treasure it." I held the reins of his pony and offered a hand to help him mount. "Let's go. Ivan should be here soon."

***************************Hours later, and well into the battle***************************

Childish laughter rang off of the stones around me. "You can run, but you can't hide!"

I cursed quietly to myself. Our armies were well matched, but I wasn't sure I could stand up to him on my own. It had become clear to me that he hadn't expected Feliks to answer my call for aid, as the group he brought was just large enough to crush the few troops I had left, but with the Polish troops on my side, we could hold our own. He probably decided it would be easier to target me directly at that point, and I was forced to retreat in order to have any shot at winning this fight.

He laughed again, and I shivered. His voice was as cold as ever, just like his home. "I will find you~! Better that you face me, da?"

Much as I hated to admit it, he was right. After taking a deep breath to steel myself for what had to be done, I leapt from my hiding place and into his path, sword raised and ready.

His face brightened when he saw me. "There you are!" He held his arms wide, revealing no few blood stains on his coat and signature pipe. "Say you'll come back with me and this will go easier on you and your people, da?"

I shook my head and tightened my grip on my sword. The many years spent in his house had not been fun. "No, Ivan. I'm independent now. When will you just accept it and leave my people alone?" His smile grew wider, and I felt myself tremble. That was the smile that still haunted my dreams. I shook myself mentally. "You leave me no choice."

My charge seemed to take him by surprise, and he barely managed to get his pipe up in time to block the swing meant for his head. His grasp on the pipe was not strong, however, and it flew out of his hands. A thrill of accomplishment ran up my spine as I tried to press my advantage. He recovered from his surprise quickly, tearing off his coat and drawing a hidden sword to counter my attack. Before long, he was pressing me back, our swords locked between us and his childish smirk mocking my attempts to fight back.

I don't know how long we stood there, surrounded by the ruins of an old abandoned town, locked in a battle for physical dominance— one that I was slowly losing. Ivan was just too big and strong for me to stand against in this fashion for long. Something changed in his face, and the glint in his eyes seemed somehow more sadistic and sinister than before. Startled, I let out a gasp as he brought his full strength and weight down on our interlocked swords. There was a sick feeling in my stomach as I realized that he had been toying with me until now. Unless I came up with some brilliant plan—and quickly—I was going to lose this fight…and probably my life.

I shifted my stance, trying to buy a little more time while I searched for an opening. Next thing I knew, I was lying face-down on the ground; he had seen through my desperation and had pulled back, letting my own strength carry me past him. His laughter rang harshly in my ears. My cheeks flushed with anger as I rolled over to face him, somehow bringing my sword up in time to block his downward swing. A brief snarl appeared on his face before he swung again, viciously tearing my sword from my hands.

His eyes shone with glee at his victory, boot crunching down on the armor covering my abdomen. The point of his sword hovered mere inches from my throat as the air whooshed out of my lungs. I struggled to draw breath, so chose instead to glare angrily up at my foe. My own sword had flown at least ten feet away, and the dagger in my boot was useless in my current position. "You lost, da?" Ivan crowed. "Now you must return and become one with Russia!" I shook my head vehemently, my feeble shoves at his foot only causing him to step harder, further impeding my lungs' desperate attempts at drawing air. "No?" His face was strangely…sad. "If I can't have you….then no one else will either!"

His eyes gleaned with a light I'd only ever seen in the eyes of the insane. He raised his sword up over his head and I covered my head with my arms, praying that he'd move his foot before striking so that I might have a chance to escape. It was true that I'd rather die than return to living under Ivan's control, but I had to live for my people and…Feliks. _I'm sorry….I couldn't defeat him and return to help with the harvest…_ My eyes were clenched tightly shut, body tensed, waiting for a blow that never came.

Several seconds went by before I realized that something had changed. I could breathe again! Ivan's foot was no longer on me! I risked a peek from behind my raised arms and caught a glimpse of the large Russian. I hurriedly rolled over and got to my knees, drawing my last weapon in preparation for a desperate fight to the death.

The scene before me would have caused me to gasp with surprise, had my lungs recovered enough to do so. Ivan had been forced to back off, and my savior was none other than Feliks, frilly dress and all. A quick glance was enough for me to know that the sword he held was my own. Ivan was…shocked. He must have known that Feliks was here due to the force of Polish troops aiding my resistance, but something clearly had him baffled. In fact, had the situation not been so serious, it probably would have brought me to tears with hysterical laughter.

"You!" An angry Russian voice cut through my thoughts. "Why do you interfere in business that is not belonging to you?" Ivan practically spat his words at Feliks, his English coming out more broken as his calmer façade was broken down by anger.

Feliks stepped back, sword raised en garde as he positioned himself between the angry Russian and myself. "You made it my business by attacking Lithuania, even after he'd won his independence from you. Selfish monsters are not welcome here."

"Fe…liks…." I heard my voice say in pants. Perhaps I had a crushed rib? Breathing certainly hurt….a lot. "…no…."

The blond glanced over his shoulder and smiled at me. "Don't worry. It's my turn to protect you." His gaze returned to focus boldly on Ivan, sword ready, body quivering with anticipation.

Violet eyes flashed with anger. "Nyet. It is your turn to suffer and die." Suddenly the childish smirk was back—a cold smile that did nothing to kill the angry fire in his eyes. He swung his sword, hard, and I flinched involuntarily.

Poland held his ground. He blocked the blow and laughed. "You think you can beat me? You think you can defeat Poland?"

Ivan's eyes hardened. "Da." was his only response. Moments later he was raining blows on his opponent, no longer holding back. Feliks was smart, using his agility and lighter build to dodge most of the attacks. Still, he refused to move from his self-appointed post between Ivan and myself.

I staggered to my feet, unable to watch this go on. All it would take was one mistake and Feliks would end up seriously wounded…or worse. He probably had forgotten that he wasn't wearing any armor, and had just charged foolishly in after seeing me in trouble. Not that I didn't appreciate the rescue, but I didn't want to risk losing him any more than I wanted to lose my independence. "Stop…stop it." I choked out. I could breathe somewhat easier, but a few of my lower ribs were still on fire, quite possibly broken. "Your fight is with me, Ivan, not Feliks. Leave him out of this."

"Nyet." came the response as Ivan managed to lock swords with Feliks, trying the same tactic that had only been mostly effective against me. This time, however, the results were far more favorable to him. Feliks was smaller, and definitely not as strong as I, at least physically. His knees started to buckle after only a few seconds.

"No…" I whispered. Heedless of my own safety, I charged into the fray, swinging desperately at Ivan with my last weapon…the nearly forgotten dagger in my hand.

Ivan's size made him an easy target, and I held on to some small element of surprise. He jerked back, but seconds too slow; the tip of my dagger scoring a light trail on his cheek. He raised a hand to it, staring at the blood that came away on his fingers for a moment before his eyes narrowed and returned to where I stood, still breathing with some difficulty, in front of an exhausted Poland. He charged then, and I crouched down, letting his wild, angry charge carry his blow over our heads and past us.

"Come on." I said to Feliks, tugging his arm. "We've got to get out of here." His eyes were wide, and I could tell that he was frightened. "Run. I'll be right behind you. Promise."

He gulped and nodded as I pulled him to his feet and gave him a small push in the direction of the battlefield. If we could just make it back to the armies, we would probably be okay. Feliks took off at an unsteady run, feet slipping on uncertain ground, dainty shoes muddied and scuffed. I followed after a moment, determined to protect him from Russia as long as possible.

A loud laugh, more insane-sounding than childish rang out behind us, startling us both and causing Feliks to lose his balance and trip, falling face-first to the ground. A quick glance behind me revealed bad news; Ivan had recovered his pipe and was now hot on our heels. Both Feliks and I were too tired to run at top speed, and we hadn't really gained enough of a head start to reach any form of safety before he caught us. I spun, dagger in hand, ready to face him, only to have him charge past me and towards Feliks, who was trying to get to his feet, efforts hindered somewhat by a new-found panic. A single kick had Feliks on his back, staring up at Ivan with wide, terrified eyes.

Without another thought, I closed the distance between us and dove on top of Feliks, shielding him from the first strike from the Russian's pipe. Fortunately, the blow bounced off of my armor, leaving only a dull ache behind. "Feliks, go! Get out of here!" His eyes were wide and he didn't move, instead staring up at me in shock. Another blow rang off my armor, this time aimed at the center of my back. Ivan knew well where my scars were; after all, he'd put them there. I grimaced and urged Feliks on again. This time, he slid out from under me and bolted, panic lending urgency to his steps. I moved in an attempt to get to my feet and follow, but the pipe connected with the back of my knee with a sickening crunch. I collapsed to the ground with a sharp cry of pain.

"Ah, Toris." The childish quality was back in Ivan's voice as he spoke in a sort of sing-song manner. "Now that the freak is gone, we can continue." The next blow crashed into the same knee, doing more damage to an already crushed joint. I whimpered, knowing that loud cries would only drive him to hurt me more. "You always were my favorite. You had best screams, da? Scream for me again." He took a swing at my hip; the blow ringing off a resounding 'smack' that was sure to leave a bruise. An involuntary cry barely escaped my lips as he rained strikes down upon me as I lay there, helpless; each blow calculated to deal maximum pain without much actual damage. After a time, I found myself unable to cry out or even flinch away from the stinging blows. There was a brief respite as he walked around me, ended when he grabbed me roughly by the hair and pulled me upright. The gleam in his eyes told a story promising death. Rough hands tossed me back to the ground, where I fell limply on my back. It was clear—he wanted me to watch, to see my death coming. I shut my eyes tightly, unwilling to give him the satisfaction.

Suddenly, I heard Feliks's voice shouting something in Polish. He had returned! And, from the sounds of it, he had brought some of his soldiers back with him. I opened my eyes and turned my head enough to see him approaching. Ivan bent over me, cursing in Russian. I felt him tug something from my nerveless fingers, and gasped with dread when I saw him come up with my all-but-forgotten dagger. I tried to shout a warning, but my voice was cut off by a rough boot on my neck. A gasp forced its way past my lips as the dagger left Ivan's hand. It seemed almost to fly in slow-motion before sinking deep into the heart of the embodiment of Poland, and my closest friend, Feliks. A tortured scream that I barely recognized as my own tore through the air as his body slowly collapsed to the ground and lay there, unmoving. An evil laugh fills the air as Ivan's pipe connects with the side of my head, throwing my world into darkness…


	2. Back to Reality

 

I felt a scream bubbling up, and I clamped my lips shut, sitting bolt upright as a muffled, strangled cry escaped. My eyes snapped open, expecting to see some sort of torture chamber. Breathing heavily, I felt relief when I saw nothing more than my own darkened bedroom.

 _Was that…really just a dream?_ I stared at my shaking hands as my head started to throb. _It felt too real…_ I buried my face in my hands, trying to muffle my sobs, at least until I could stop myself from making them.

The bed shifted underneath me. A sleep voice mumbled, "…time is it?"

Startled, I sat upright stiffly, blinking back tears. The end of my dream was still fresh in my mind, making the voice feel like a fresh stab to the heart. "It's still the middle of the night. Go back to sleep, Feliks." I refused to look at him, almost afraid of what I might see there, and also afraid of letting him see me like this.

A hand groped blindly towards me before his fingers caught onto the hem of my shirt. He gave a gentle tug. "You should totally sleep too, Liet. It's gonna, like, suck so much to get up in the morning and work." When I neither moved nor responded to his gentle tugging, he propped himself up next to me and rubbed sleep out of his eyes.

I looked away, unable to get a hold of myself for long enough to reassure him that everything was alright….especially since I was still unsure of this myself. I could feel him tugging on my sleeve now. "Feliks, it's okay." My voice cracked slightly on 'okay'. I cleared my throat nervously, hoping he was still too drowsy to notice. "Go back to sleep."

I felt the mattress shifting again and closed my eyes tightly, glad that he'd listened and gone back to sleep. I let out a shaky breath that I had no recollection of holding as tears formed in the corners of my eyes. Cold fingers wrapped around my cheek and my eyes flew open in surprise as Feliks forced me to face him. His eyes examined my face carefully, hand gripping my chin more tightly when I tried to pull away—not tightly enough to hurt, just enough to serve as a warning and to prove that he was serious. I squirmed under his scrutiny and looked away, refusing to meet his gaze again. Inwardly I cursed the shaking of my hands and my own cowardice.

"Man, Liet. Your face looks like shit." I flinched from the harsh truth in those words. He'd never been good at sugar-coating his words. "What's wrong?" I bit my lip and said nothing, turning my head away from him again. His other hand came up and he forced my face towards him. He leaned closer, all but sitting in my lap now.

"It-it's nothing." I stammered out. I wasn't sure how long I could continue to withstand his careful scrutiny.

A thumb wiped a tear away from my eye. "Don't lie to me, Toris." That was his serious voice. The one that most never heard, and the one that he rarely used. But it was also the voice he had used…when commanding his troops…just before…

The image of his body laying crumpled in the mud flashed to the forefront of my thoughts, and my resolve crumbled. Tears flowed unchecked down my cheeks as I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them. "I…I can't…" My voice was thick with my grief. "I can't go back there!" This last was tinged with panic, and the small corner of my mind that had somehow held onto logic berated me for showing my terror.

Feliks stroked my hair gently. "Bad dream?" I nodded, unable to speak any further. "What did Ivan do this time?"

I gasped and stared at him, wide-eyed. I thought for sure that my jaw had hit the floor. "H-how….how did you…"

He snorted. "This isn't the first time you've woken me up with your nightmares. You just woke up first this time." I stared at him in disbelief. "Usually you'd be whimpering Ivan's name and begging him not to hurt you. Seriously, Toris, you didn't know?" I shook my head. "Well, spill. What'd he do this time that was totally so much worse than the other times?"

I buried my face in my arms, willing that haunting image to leave me in peace. " He…killed you…" I mumbled. His gasp made me look up. "I'm sorry!" I sobbed. "I couldn't…I…h-he hurt you because of m-me…and I couldn't stop him, couldn't protect you…" _That's it._ I thought. _I've completely lost it. He's gonna wig out on me any second now…_

To my surprise, he jerked me upright and then pulled me into a hug, seemingly content to hold me until I cried myself out. A short time later, my sobs subsided and I loosened my grip on his shirt. He pulled me away gently and helped wipe away my tears. "Better?" I nodded carefully, still not sure what to expect. "Good. Now, tell me the whole thing."

I shuddered, but did as he asked. Feliks could be quite stubborn when he wanted something, and I always gave into him sooner or later. For a while, I was okay while recounting my dream. When I got to the part where Ivan had killed Feliks with my dagger, however, I stopped, unable to continue.

"Man, I should have guessed." He sounded…frustrated. I shrank back unconsciously, wondering what I'd done. "I'm not mad at you. This is, like, totally my fault." He put his hand over my mouth, cutting off any chance I might've had to argue with him. "Seriously. You've been back for years now, and I've never apologized to you." _Ah. So his frustration was with himself?_ "Look, I'm, like, really sorry, okay? You know, about the whole letting-Ivan-take-you-away thing. I kinda, sorta, maybe thought you'd be safer with him, and I didn't want to see you continue to be hurt because of my foolishness and stupidity."

I tried to object to this too—I'd never once complained to him about that!—but he silenced me with a shake of his head. "You're way too nice to admit how much of a pain in the ass I've been for you." I chuckled slightly at this. The look on his face was overly dramatic, and probably represented my suffering all too well…

"Anyways," he continued, staring at his hands now instead of me. "I'm sorry. Yeah. And, like, I totally promise that nothing like that will ever happen again. Ever."

I took one of his hands, causing him to glance up at me. Even in this dim lighting, his eyes burned with something…something that I couldn't place. "Feliks, it's not your fault. I don't blame you." He didn't look convinced. "Really. In fact, I was more worried about what might happen to you without me around to look after you than I was about myself…" My voice trailed off as he flung himself at me and wrapped his arms around my neck, clutching at me almost desperately. "F-Feliks?"

"I promise…" he mumbled into my hair. Moments later he pulled back and cupped my cheeks with his hands again, steady gaze meeting my own confused one. "I promise," he started again, purposefully this time. "I will never let him touch you again. And I can totally promise one other thing." The question was already forming on my lips as the answer came. "I will never leave you. Ever. Again. Like, seriously. I mean it, for reals!"

"Oh, Feliks." I breathed. Before he could continue uncomfortably, trying to convince me of his sincerity, I pulled him into a hug. "I don't deserve you. For what it's worth, I don't plan on leaving you ever again either." He yawned into my shoulder, but refused to let go.

And that was how we drifted off to sleep, feeling comfortable, safe, and protected, secure in the knowledge that we would never have to face being alone ever again…


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just to avoid confusion, this part is told from Poland(Feliks)'s point of view. 
> 
> Poland always strikes me as playing dumb. I bet he's a lot smarter than he likes to act. Hence his side of this fic.

I woke slowly, confused and sleepy thoughts jumbled together. What had woken me? _Oh yeah, the bed's shaking._ I sighed inwardly. _Liet must be having another nightmare._ I wasn't surprised, honestly. I'd been waking up to find him shaking and whimpering in terror and pain almost every night since he'd finally given in to my demands and started staying with me again. Somehow I'd managed to soothe him with a few gentle strokes to his hair, occasionally holding his hand. So far he hadn't been awakened, but I still worried.

I opened my eyes a bit, surprised to see him sitting up. _Damn. This one must have been really bad to wake him up…_ I decided to feign ignorance and see if he would open up to me and let me help him. "…time is it?" I mumbled sleepily. He stiffened at the sound of my voice. _I knew it. Not cool._

"It's still the middle of the night. Go back to sleep, Feliks." His voice sounded wrong, and he refused to look at me.

I reached out and caught the hem of his shirt. Knowing Liet, he'd at least turn and look at me, his gentle smile trying to ease my worries. "You should totally sleep too, Liet. It's gonna, like, suck so much to get up in the morning and work." He didn't respond, and I began to worry, propping myself up next to him and rubbing at my tired eyes.

He turned his head away from me. I tugged at his sleeve. "Feliks, it's okay." I frowned as his voice cracked. He definitely wasn't okay. "Go back to sleep."

Frustrated now, I shifted closer and grabbed his cheek, forcing him to look at me. The light may have been dim, but what I saw was not reassuring. His face was pale, his eyes wide with tears beginning to form in their corners. He tried to pull away from me and I held on tighter. He squirmed, but stopped trying to pull back, instead refusing to meet my gaze. "Man, Liet. Your face looks like shit." Inwardly I cursed at myself. This probably wasn't the best choice of words. It hurt to see him flinch from my bluntness, so I tried a different approach. "What's wrong?" He bit his lip and turned away, so I grabbed his face in both hands and leaned closer, trying to get him to let me in. Couldn't he see that I just wanted to help?

"It-it's nothing." He stammered.

Mentally, I shook my head. His stubbornness nearly rivaled my own. Gently, I wiped a tear from his eye. "Don't lie to me, Toris." I only ever called him that out loud when I was serious, preferring to use the nickname that I'd given to him long ago as a means of endearment.

At this, his defenses crumbled. The dam broke and tears flowed freely down his face. He curled his body into a ball and I released him, surprised by this uncharacteristic breakdown. "I…I can't…" My heart nearly broke at the sight. "I can't go back there!" How could someone so strong and proud be reduced to this? His last words echoed in my brain, and then it clicked.

I reached out and stroked his hair gently; after all, it had worked to calm him while he slept. What was there to say that it wouldn't help while he was awake too? "Bad dream?" I asked. I felt, more than saw, his answering nod. I considered how to proceed for a moment, before deciding on the direct route. "What did Ivan do this time?"

Judging by his gasp and wide-eyed stare, he hadn't expected this question from me. "How…how did you…" My heart sank as he confirmed my fears.

I snorted to hide my pain from him. He had suffered, and didn't need to feel guilty for my pain too. "This isn't the first time you've woken me up with your nightmares. You just woke up first this time." I kept my voice light as his expression changed to reflect his disbelief. "Usually you'd be whimpering Ivan's name and begging him not to hurt you. Seriously, Toris, you didn't know?" He shook his head and I felt a small bit of pride in myself. I'd helped him escape those nightmares…until now. "Well, spill. What'd he do this time that was totally so much worse than the other times?"

For a moment, I was afraid he wouldn't answer when he buried his face in his arms again. "He…killed you…" His mumble was difficult to make out, but I still gasped involuntarily when I realized what he'd said. He looked up, a lost, broken expression on his face. "I'm sorry!" He was sobbing again. "I couldn't…I…h-he hurt you because of m-me…and I couldn't stop him, couldn't protect you…"

I nearly lost it myself this time. He was crying because of ME. I tugged him upright and pulled him into a hug, trying to hide my own pain at his words. He cried himself out when my own emotions waged war inside me. Slowly, he released his grip on my shirt and I pulled him away gently. His face was more relaxed as I helped wipe away his tears. "Better?" He nodded, and I felt a small amount of relief. "Good. Now tell me the whole thing."

He shuddered visibly but obeyed. He seemed okay, but my horror grew as he recounted Ivan's actions and the beating he'd taken while protecting me. When he stopped, unable to continue, I was pretty sure that he couldn't bring himself to tell me how I'd died in his dream.

"Man, I should have guessed." I couldn't help the frustration that leaked into my voice. He shrank away from me and I frowned. Didn't he know that I wasn't frustrated with him? "Hey, Liet." I scooted closer. "I'm not mad at you. This is, like, totally my fault." He opened his mouth to object and I stopped him quickly. This needed to be said, and if he interrupted, I wasn't sure I could say it again later. "Seriously. You've been back for years now and I've never apologized to you. Look, I'm, like, really sorry, okay? You know, about the whole letting-Ivan-take-you-away thing. I kinda, sorta, maybe thought you'd be safer with him, and I didn't want to see you continue to be hurt because of my foolishness and stupidity."

He opened his mouth again and I shook my head. "You're way too nice to admit how much of a pain in the ass I've been for you." He chuckled slightly at this, so I plowed on. "Anyways," I couldn't look at him anymore. My bravery only ever lasted for so long. "I'm sorry. Yeah. And, like, I totally promise that nothing like that will ever happen again. Ever."

He took one of my hands and I looked up at him again. "Feliks, it's not your fault. I don't blame you. Really. In fact, I was more worried about what might happen to you without me around to look after you than I was about myself…" He trailed off as I flung myself at him. "F-Feliks?"

"I promise…" I realized I was mumbling into his hair and pulled back, cupping his face with my hands again. He looked confused. "I promise I will never let him touch you again. And I can totally promise one other thing. I will never leave you. Ever. Again." I don't think that I've ever felt more determined. "Like, seriously. I mean it, for reals!"

"Oh, Feliks." He pulled me into a hug. "I don't deserve you. For what it's worth, I don't plan on leaving you ever again either." I yawned into his shoulder, too tired to continue, but refused to let him go.

And that was how we woke up the next morning, resuming our normal lives…together.


End file.
